John Wick: Chapter 4

One wonders in the midst of production companies banking on nostalgia with remakes or spin offs or just mindnumpingly adding instalments to a franchise, just banking off of the laurels and praise of its previous films, whether the fourth instalment of a beloved franchise like John Wick is going to be like any other drop in the ocean or is it truly going to be an experience you will remember for weeks to come. I was consumed with these thoughts as I went into the IMAX show Thursday evening to a packed theatre and my god was I absolutely bowled over by not only the ability of this film to completely provide a fresh experience but amplify its action set pieces from one moment to the other, still having the ability to surprise you and make your jaw drop! Imagine that in 2014, Keanu Reeves featured in the first instalment that had a running time of 1 hour and 37 minutes and now we get Chapter 4 that is 2 hours and 49 minutes, Chad Stahelski was not messing around with this venture and after seeing the final product I have to say that the earnestness with which he has approached the film is clear in every frame. We start this chapter with John Wick whom was fatally injured and rescued by the Bowery King and his men in the final minutes of Chapter 3. As everyone has turned against him which includes all the members under the high table, John exacts revenge on every single element of the establishment. The crux of the film being, is there any escaping the predicament that John finds himself in as the marquee, an influential group of the organisation led by Bill Skarsgard puts all his efforts to eliminate him. How John in this pursuit of vengeance works under the confines of the rule of law for possibly independence forms the basic remise of Chapter 4 and I cannot rave about this film enough because there is no doubt in my mind to recommend to you that this is the action film you need to watch this weekend and specifically on the big screen! The film has the ability to pump you up from the very first frame as John is rehabilitating himself to his original potential. The bowery king rightly makes his presence felt by announcing him as the motherfucking king. From the onset of the film, Dan Laustsen’s cinematography will stay with you. There is such an exceptional depiction of the cities of New York, Tokyo, Berlin and France, each city and setting highlighting distinct colours that really come across as near seamless paintings. You go from the dreaded deserts of Casablanca, the busy and confined streets of Tokyo, the majestic nightlife of Berlin and all of it accounts for frames and situations that act as perfect settings for hand to hand and firearm combat. In an age where we have become so desensitised to digitally created backdrops heavily dependent on CGI, the live action in real locations provides such a unique and rare experience with this film, making you just acknowledge on how much more impactful sequences are when they are set in real locations. What will stay with you regarding the portrayal of characters in this film and the journey John Wick embarks upon, is literally the POV of a first person shooter open world video game. Think of it like Max Payne being on a kill streak in GTA 5 while his wanted star rating is at 6 and the streets are going bat shit crazy. John Wick is precisely that gameplay but on crack! The characters and the bosses that come along in his journey, each one having their eyes on the prize due to the handsome bounty on his head, have distinct physical traits, wardrobes that are straight out a video game and are performed at a certain theatrical pitch, it makes you think about the sheer world building that can be explored if a game is formulated and you can enter the world from different POV’s. This feature becomes abundantly clear as you explore the character of Bill Skarsgard, he sports extravagant suits, every time he conducts a meeting, it has to be a palatial setting, he either watching a musical alone, is in an expansive art gallery or in a horse staple, its super villain shit done with conviction that will even give Shakaal a run for his money. The moment shit hits the fan in Japan, you know Manga fans would love a rendition of John Wick across continents because the frames and settings is just perfect and the potential, endless. When Hiroyuki Sanada said, get ready to show them hospitality, you know the ball was rolling for some epic combat and oh boy did it not disappoint. Its a combination of firearms, bow and arrow and hand to hand MMA combat that is bound to bowl you over. The need for John just to make sure of the kills becomes the icing on the cake, just that one more shot to the head to confirm the kill generated such hooting and clapping in theatres. There is an exceptionally choreographed sequence with the character of Caine played by Donnie Yen, a blind and exceptionally skilled assassin whom assess his surroundings before striking in the hotel kitchen that will really leave you in awe I have to say the hindi film within me is so jealous of these action set pieces and the conviction and skill with which they are executed because there are no slow motions gimmicks or cheat cut aways to take away from the choreography, there are long shots with minimal cuts, really making you feel like the actors themselves are getting their hands dirty. I genuinely feel and I say this with no sense of sarcasm, the physical ability of actors like Tiger Shroff and Vidyut Jammwal is so underutilised its not even funny and it made me think about just how both the action stars would shine if they were just given the right mounting in a cohesive script because they can execute some of the most complicated action choreography to perfection. Just imagine a two star hero led film, set in real locations in India, with choreography rooted in reality, no slow motion gimmicks or unnecessary romantic angles: I wonder whether we have the appetite to consume and celebrate the same if executed by our own. The homage to Bruce Lee, the exhaustion that sets in John’s demeanour, his monosyllabic replies of the iconic ‘YEAH’: the film is so self aware with its pitch and no one can ever think of a more perfect vessel than Keanu Reeves to anchor this story. The set pieces in a rave in Berlin, the GTA madness that follows in the streets of Paris that is pure carnage, the inventiveness with which the system integrates old world elements like payphones and the radio to communicate the happenings and location of the target, the diablo like gods view which has to go down as one of the most exceptional action set pieces I may have seen in years: trust me Im keeping it as vague as possible but my god will it blow you away and of course, this iconic stair case set piece, I cannot rave about this film enough to all of you. Its just the right amount of silly and slick that the audience is craving for in the action genre and in an age where we have become so used to mediocre treatments in films which are handed over such humungous budgets, John Wick 4 is the big screen experience you will not regret for a single moment! My only question by the end of the film was if anyone did a total kill count because its absolute carnage from the word go!